DLA Piper advises Warner Bros. Discovery and Liberty Global on GBP1.15 billion sale of All3Media to RedBird IMI

Global law firm DLA Piper has advised Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. and Liberty Global Ltd., joint owners of leading television production and distribution company All3Media, on its agreed GBP1.15 billion sale to Redbird IMI.

All3Media, comprised of 50 production companies and labels across the UK, US, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and New Zealand, produces 4,000 hours annually for linear broadcasters, VOD, social media and other digital platforms. All3Media International operates a distribution catalogue of over 30,000 hours, while the Group’s digital business, Little Dot Studios, drives audiences in social video, podcast and branded content across multiple platforms. All3Media titles / formats include Hollyoaks, The Tourist, Fleabag, The Widow, Call the Midwife, Penny Dreadful, The Traitors, Gogglebox, The Tinder Swindler, Travel Man, Squid Game: The Challenge, Sort Your Life Out and Wild Isles.

RedBird IMI is a joint venture between RedBird Capital Partners, a New York based private-equity firm founded and led by Gerry Cardinale, and International Media Investments (IMI), a global media company based in Abu Dhabi.

M&A partners Bob Bishop and Jon Kenworthy co-led a multidisciplinary, cross-border DLA Piper team. Bob Bishop commented: “Congratulations to all parties involved in the sale of All3Media, one of the world’s great content companies. It was a pleasure to advise both Liberty Global and our long-standing client Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), having advised WBD on its way into All3Media, and to get to know the phenomenally talented management team at All3Media. The transaction gave us an ideal opportunity to leverage our deep sector experience and to continue to consolidate our leading market position in the media space.”

The DLA Piper team also comprised partners David Beech (M&A), Alix Kamerling (Competition), Mark Dwyer (Finance), Ben Brown (Tax) and Nick Fitzpatrick (Media, Sports and Entertainment), as well as legal directors Danny McMann (M&A) and Jesse Dalton (Tax) and senior associates Tom Watkins and Harriet Brooker (M&A), Alistair White (Competition) and Liz Emerson (Tax).